Intrigues of the Spaniards to form a league in Italy against France.
Venice, January 1st, 1678.
Sir,
I have so little news to send you from hence to-day, that I shall very soon have told you all I know, and may hope not to fatigue you with the length of this letter.
I know that a Senator, who is one of the Pregadi, has said, that the Emperor and the Spaniards are ardently soliciting the Nuncios and the Ambassadors from Venice, residing at Madrid and Vienna, to persuade their masters to unite with them against France, and to represent to them that they have a common interest to preserve Italy, and to keep out of it the armies of the King, with which it is menaced. I do not believe that the Pope164will be much disposed to do them this pleasure; and, Sir, I could almost venture to assure you, that, if the republic should renounce the advantages of that neutrality, which she has thus far so exactly observed, it will not be for the purpose of partaking in the disgraces of the house of Austria; and indeed it is in this sense that the before-mentioned Senator talked upon thesubject. ∗ ∗ ∗
The Abbé d’Estrades.165
164Benedict Odescalchi, son of a Milanese banker, elected Pope, September 21st, 1676, and took the name of Innocent XI. He was a good Pope, and a virtuous man, and a decided enemy toNepotism, against which he published a bull. He died August 12th, 1689, and his memory was venerated as that of a saint by his subjects.
165From the Archives of the Office for Foreign Affairs, at Paris.